Hedge trimmer



y 1927' J. J. SULLIVAN HEDGE TRIMMER Filed Oct. 16, 1926 "P ATE JOHN J. SULLIVAN, -OF' BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

HEDGE amm n- Application filed October 16 1926. Serial No. 142,Q38.- V V This invention relates to hedge trimmers,

and has for an object to provide a trimmer with which the hedge may be more easily and uniformly trimmed to the desired shape than with the trimmers now available.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a trimmer which may be easily and quickly adjusted to the proper position, and.

then after adjustment, to be easily operated to cut the hedge according to this adjust: ment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a trimmer] with which irregular shaped portions may be easily cut in a hedge to get different desired effects. v V

. WYith the foregoing and other objects in View, I have devised a hedge trimmer,the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a. side, elevation of the trimmer showingits use on a hedge.

F 's an end elevation thereof look ng from the left'of Fig. 1, but showing the side trimmer removed. f

Fig. 3 isa top 'plan View thereof showing the side trimmer removed.

Fig. A; is an end view'of the upper portion of the trimmer and the top portion of a hedge showing how it may be used to trim an inclined surface on the'hedge.

the. upper portions of hedges illustrating different effectsfwhich maybe secured, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a hedge and the track showing the use of, templates for hedge V My improved trimming dev ce compr ses supporting rails 10 extending long tudinally ofthehedge ll, there being one on each side of the hedge. These rails may be of different shapes in cross sectiom'butIprefer to'usethe simple angle irons 'Ihave illus trated. These rails are mounted on supports 12', the preferred construct on beingnverted L. -shap'ed or angle members, as shown,

having upright supporting portions '13 pointed at their lower ends so, as te' be easily driven into the groundl l. The horizontal portions of these supports are adapted to carry rails 10 which are adlustably mounted thereon so, as to be movable toward and from the hedge. A convenient and. simple me s f r. a j tab y ean me e i il onthe' supports isto provide the supports Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing with elongated slots 15 and pass screwslfi through the horizontalportion of therails and through these slots, and provide thumb nuts 17 for clamping the rails in adjusted position. I i

Mounted to "run alongthese rails is a carriage for supporting the-trimmer proper. This carriage is of a very simple construction comprising upright bars 18, which may be pieces of pipe of the desired length,

threaded at their lower ends into a standard .19, and which is threaded onto' a stud 20' on a forked member 21in whicliis mounted a wheel 22. There are two'o f these upright bars, one on each side of the hedge and lateral sup ort is provided by means of a bar 23, such as a section ofpipe, threaded into the T 19 and connected 'by an elbow 24 with asecond fork 21 mounted on another wheel 22. The l engthof the bar or pipe 23 may be made anything found desirable to P p y. n erb la h 1 weight of the clipper 25 mounted on the cart riage. For an extremely high hedge the elbow 24 may be unscrewed from the pipe, another section of pipe screwed ontothis pipe by means of the ordinary union and then the elbow withthe supporting wheel ap i d t t r end Q his t on- Extending transversely'across and above t ehe g is a bar 2 an t s ba is! d,- justably secured to the uprights 18. A convenient means of securing this bar is means-of blocks 27 each having two openings therethrough extending at ri'ghtangles -to each other,. one opening for the upright cutting different effects on thetop ofthe 18 and the other'for the; horizontal bar,

and these blocks may be clamped to, the bars byaneans, of set screws 29. Similar blocks 30 are used toimountthe clipper 2.5 v

on eitherthe Up t ho z nta b r; r

the two together. Theseiblocks are clamped in adjusted position bysimilar set screws 29. The clipper maybe of any suitable type, but that shown comprises a stationary 'knife 31 mounted on rods 32 and a movable knife 33 secured to the stationary knife and adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally I here n- I ay beh l by any ui l guides such as screws 3 1 in elongated. slots 35. There is also preferably ahandle 36 secured to the stationary .knifeand another handle pivoted to the movable knife, as

shown at 38, and also pivoted to the handle 36,; as shown at 39. The rods 32 carrying theclipper pass through openings in the V blocks 30 and are secured in adjusted positions therein by set screws 29. The bars 18 may be threaded at their upper ends, as shown at 40, so-that in trimming extra high hedges extensions 41 may be threaded on these supports to secure the desired height.

In operation the rails are properly positioned at the sides of the hedge by stretching strings and then setting the rails thereby. The height of the rails is determined by the amount to which the upright portions 18 of the supports 12 are driven into the ground, and the lateral position of the rails with respect to the hedge is adjusted by screws 16 in the slots 15, and the rails are then clamped in the adjusted position by the thumb nuts 17. ,In trimming the up right sides of the hedge the clipper is mounted on one of the upright bars 18, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be adjusted to the proper position both as to height and laterally with respect to the hedge by means of the set screws 29, -and is, then clamped by these screwsin the proper adjusted position. The operator then grasps the handles on the levers 36 and 37 and by swinging the lever 37 will operate the clipper while at the same time the clipper may be moved along the sides of the hedge by moving the carriage along the rails. It will be apparent that during this movement the carriage, will hold the clipperinpro'per relation to the hedge, and all the operator has to do to secure a straight uniform cut is to operate the clipper. Diiterent, cuts may be secured by raising and lowering the clipper on the upright. For trimming the top of. the hedge the cli per is merely mounted on the transverse ar 26, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and operated in the same manner. It will,

'of course, be understood that although I have shown two clippers in Fig. 1, only one of them will ordinarily be used at a. time.

In other words the same clipper will be used for clipping the sides and top ofthe hedge.

If it is desired to cut a beveled or. inclined form bevel or inclined surface is cutthe same way as described above for trimming the top or a side of the hedge, After one bevel has been cut asimilar. bevel may be cut on the other side, as indicated in Fig. 5, the bevels being indicated at 42. I If it is 'desired to cut round upper edges on the hedge, as indicated in Fig. 6, this may be done by mounting the clipper in the manner shown in Fig. 4 but taking very small cuts and adjusting the angle of the'clip mrbetween each cut. I

If it'is' desired to cut difi'erentshapes on the top of the hedge'this may be done as illustrated in Fig. 7 For this purpose templates may be securedto the rails 10. If it is desired to make a curved portion 43 on the top of the hedge a similarly shaped templatei44 may be attached to the rail, and as either an angle plate or, as shown in Fig. 7

this template may comprise an upright bar 46 pivoted to an inclined bar 47, and the upright having an elongatedslot 48 for a se: 7

curing screw 49. By adjusting the. upright the angle of inclination will be adjustedas desired. In trimming over the top of a right angled corner of the hedge the clipper on the top'bar may be extended in the opposite direction from that shown in'Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

- f It' will apparent from the foregoing description that the device is very simple' in construction and that there is universal adjustment forthe clipper so that it may be mounted in any position desired for cutting the hedge, and that after once adjusted an even, uniform cut maybe madeby merely operating the clipper as the"carriagev is moved along the rails. Furthermore, the

device is easily set up and taken' down, and therefore,it is not difficult to assemble or operate; r V l-Iaving thus set forth the nature of my invention, what'I claim is: J I

1.' In a hedgetrimming device, track rails to extend longitudinally on each side of the hedge, adjustablesupports for said rails to permit proper location thereof, a carriage having wheels to run on said rails, upright supports, on the carriage, across bar adjustablyj secured to the said upright supports, a clipper, and means "for adjustably mounting the clipper on the uprightsupports. and cross bar. X

2. In a hedge trimming device, supporting rails to extend along the sides'of the hedge, a carriage having wheels to run on said rails and including upright supportson opposite sides of the hedge, a transverse support adjustably secured to the upright supports, a

clipper, and clipper supports, adapted to be adjustably mounted on the upright and transverse supports V 3. In a hedge trimming device, a pair of rails to extend one on each side of the hedge, supports fOl' SiHCl rails ncluding an upright portion tobe driven into the ground. and a tranverse portion, means toadjustably secure the rails to the transverse portion to al- I 7 low adj ustment of therails toward and from the hedge, a carriage having wheels, to run on the rails, a clipper, and means for adjustably mounting the clipper on the carriage. v

4. In a hedge trimming device, a pair of rails to extend one on each side of the hedge, supports for said rails comprising angle members having an upright portion to be" driven into the ground and a horizontal por-' tion to support the rails, means toadjusb ably secure the rails to said horizontal portion to permit longitudinal adjustment thereon, a carriage mounted on the rails and including supports extending upright at the sides of the hedge and transversely over the same, a clipper, and means for adjustably securing the clipper to ports. 7

5. In a hedge trimmin ydevice, a Wheeled carriage including spaced upright bars one on each side of the hedge, a bar extending transversely of the hedge and adjustably secured to the upright bars, blocks adjustably mounted on the bars, and a clipper carried by said blocks.

6. In a hedge trimming device, a Wheeled carriage including spaced upright bars one on each side of the hedge, a bar extending transversely of the hedge and adjustably'sesaid latter supthe opposite sidesof the hedge having means at their upper ends for attachment of extensions for said bars, a transverse bar, means for adjustablysecuring the transverse bar to said upright bars, supporting blocks adjustably mounted on said bars, a clipper having supporting rods, and means for adjustably securing said rods in the blocks. a 8. In a hedge trimmin device, supporting rails to extend longitudinally of the hedge on opposite sides thereof, a Wheeled carriage moulited to run on said rails, a trimmer mounted on said carriage, and templates secured to the rails to cooperate with the carriage to cause the trimmer to out different shapes in portions of the hedge as the carriage is moved along the rails.

In testimony WhereofI afiix my signature.

JOHN J. SULLIVAN; 

